By Colin Date

Tools you’ll need: besides using a specialty tool to removethe moldings, a power buffing wheel is the only tool needed.

Tinware you’ll need: various grits of fine wet sandpaper(320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 grits), stainless polish,microfiber towels.

Considering the amount of chrome, stainless steel, andpolished aluminum that was originally bolted or stuck to theseold Chevys of ours, cleaning and polishing your body moldingsand trim can drastically change the appearance of your car.Think about it. From grilles and bumpers to window reveals anddoor moldings, these cars were clad to the hilt with all thingsbright and shiny. It was the style of the times, and we love it!Nothing looks better rolling down the highway than a nicelyrestored car with highly detailed trim and appointments. Picturea ’66 Marina Blue Impala SS convertible dancing and sparklingin the afternoon sun like a two-ton disco ball. Now that’s whatyou’d call Saturday Night Fever!

In reality, most of us probably fall a little short of the kingpinstyling and prestige of such an Impala. But the truth is any carwill greatly benefit from the time invested in precise detailwork. However, this is an area that many car crafters seem toglaze over or just forget about altogether. You see it all thetime. Somebody will strip a car down, spend $8,000 onbodywork and a new paint job, and proceed to reinstall thesame faded-out and pitted-up chrome and trim that originallycame off the car. That makes no sense. Not to mention itheavily detracts from the overall appearance you just spent agrip of cash to improve. Sure, many reproductions areavailable nowadays, and sometimes this is simply the bestroute to go. Repro moldings may not be available for allmodels though, so re-finishing just might be your only option.For stainless steel, you would be surprised what you can dowith a buffer, a little polish, and your own two hands. In fact,we will show you just how easy it is to do, and put a littlesparkle back into your car’s cosmetics. Here, we’ll concentrateon stainless only. Aluminum parts are a little trickier – they canbe very fragile, and can require anodizing or re-chroming afterbeing refinished. If you need to re-chrome a part, there aremany companies around the country that offer this service.

The windshield reveal moldings are constantly under fire fromthe rays of the sun (or rain and snow depending on the car’sorigin). Regardless, over time they fade and dull and can evenrust due to the harsh elements of the outdoors. We decided topull the original set of moldings off the car and treat them tosome long-awaited TLC.

HOW TO: REFINISH STAINLESS STEEL MOLDINGS

After removing the moldings (go easy, they can be brittle!), we gavethem a quick once-over cleaning with a little soap and warm water. Then,start sanding with wet fine grits sandpaper – we’d recommend starting witha 320 grit, then move up to 400, then 600, then 800, then 1000. See howit’s looking at this point. You may need to use a 1200 or even 1500 if youwant it to really gleam. By this time, the surface should appear almostmirror-like. Don’t apply all the sanding force in one direction either, use across-hatch formation to evenly cover the surface. Go easy and cover themolding completely. Wet sanding is a delicate process and does notrequire much force. When completed, wipe the molding dry with a cleanrag and proceed to the buffing wheel. Again, the trick here is to go easy. Ifyou press the molding too hard into the wheel or stay in the same spot fortoo long, you run the risk of burning and ruining the finish of the molding.

Working in a smooth side-to-side motion, run the molding back and forthunder the wheel at a slight angle. It helps to roll the piece in your handalong the wheel to prevent constant direct friction in one specific area.

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Occasionally pause and inspect the finish to decide what is adequate. If youplan on restoring a car and currently do not own a bench grinder/buffingwheel, we strongly recommend buying one. They are fairly inexpensive andwill help tremendously on a variety of projects such as this.

The last and final step is hand polishing. This is where themagic happens. In a small circular pattern, apply the softpolishing compound with a microfiber towel. Light pressure is allthat is needed. When the compound begins to dry or disappear,wipe the molding off with a separate clean towel. You may needto repeat the process a couple times to achieve your desiredresults. You will be amazed at the brilliant finish and how quicklyyou got the job done!

HOW TO: REMOVING AND REFINISHING PAINTEDMOLDINGS

Tools you’ll need: Will vary depending on parts. Typically, ascrewdriver or socket set will do the trick.

Tinware you’ll need: Spray paint, masking tape, fine grits wetsandpaper (600, 800 grits)

Face it. If you drive an old car on a semi-regular basis, you are boundto catch a few chips and dings here and there. Along with the paint job,the body moldings are very fragile pieces of the exterior that can oftentake the brunt of time on the open road. Most were made of thinaluminum or pot metal and don’t exactly stand up well to tiny rocks or dirtclods being hurled at them at 70+ mph. In fact, just about every originalcar we have seen has some sort of trim damage from the road (not tomention all the years under the scorching sun). Although minor incomparison to some, it’s the attention to finishing details like this that canreally set a car apart from the rest of the pack.

In the world of aftermarket reproduction trim, there are obviously plentyof parts available, but, like the stainless steel pieces we spoke ofpreviously, new repro trim/grilles/bezels are not available for every makeand model out there. That leaves us either scrounging through scrap yardshoping to find something in better shape than we already have (not likely),or embarking on a fanatical and quite expensive journey to locate NOSpieces. Considering the big picture here, most of us are probably betteroff just making the best of what we have. However, that is not necessarily

a bad thing. In extreme cases, some pieces will need to be sent out toa competent pro for re-working. But for everything else, you can knockit out yourself right in the comfort and convenience of your owngarage. Even better, the fix is easy and costs about next to nothing. Sowith that said, let’s get started!

We decided to nominate a pair of painted aluminum headlight bezelsfor the job. The bezels are decent, but with spotted and flaking paintthey lack the clean show-quality look the rest of the car deserves. Westarted by first removing them from the front-end assembly with asmall Phillips screwdriver. On this particular car (’67 Chevelle SS),there are just two screws on the top and two valance-mountedretainers securing the bezel on the bottom.

Tip: Be careful not to burn the finish of themetal on the buffing wheel. The wheel turns ata very high speed and produces quite a bit ofheat generated from the friction.

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Once they were off, we used fine grit wet sandpaper (started with600 grit, finished with 800) to slightly scuff them up and flatten theold paint “edges” for better paint adhesion. It’s only necessary tosand the painted areas of the molding.

After sanding and cleaning the parts of all dirt and grease, it’s nowtime for the tedious chore of masking. If you have ever paintedanything before, you know the importance of properly masking offwith clean, straight lines. The tape edges will ultimately determine thefinished product. So make sure the tape is well adhered and flat onthe surface to be painted. This will help prevent bleed-through andruns in the paint. By taking the extra time to carefully prep and maskthe parts, you will ensure quality results.

With all the hard stuff out of the way, the actual painting processcan be fun. I love watching an old cracked-up, faded paint jobtransform into a clean, glossy coat of glass. It can be addicting!Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the paint being used andalways lay down light, even coats (until complete coverage isachieved) especially for high profile items such as grilles and bezels.They definitely need the extra coating and protection. If at all possible,paint outdoors in a dry, warm, sunny climate. Garages are often dampand are prone to hold moisture. The sun will not only speed up curingtimes for the paint, but it will also supply plenty of natural light. Afterthe painting is done, allow ample drying time before reinstalling thepieces back on the car.

HOW TO: REMOVING AND REFINISHING PAINTED MOLDINGS

Tip: Spray paint has a nasty habit of traveling.Make sure you mask off other areas of themolding that are not intended for paint.

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Want more how-to? How about showing us (and other ChevyClassics readers!) some of your favorite tech tips and tricks? Allof us gearheads have picked up some great ideas over theyears– some big, some small. It may be something that you’vetaken for granted all along, but haven’t shared with anyone else.Could be some technique you’ve mastered for removing/installingcoil springs, could even be the brand of detergent you use toscrub down with after a knuckle-busting session. Let us know! Next issue we’ll expand on this a bit more– heck,

we may even offer a reward for your efforts!

Coming up next month in Chevy Classics: we’ll show youhow to soda blast smaller parts– save money and get the jobdone right the first time! Stay tuned.